Mid-Century Modern Kitchen with Yellow & Green

Black and white kitchen countertop closeup with black sink and black faucet © Cindy Apple Photography
Photo of a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped separate kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and black benchtop.

Stately Colonial

Teakwood Builders, Inc.

Expansive traditional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Boston with blue cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, medium hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Ultra Modern Luxury Oasis

Regal Construction & Remodeling Inc.

Inspiration for a large contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, black splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor, black benchtop, an undermount sink and soapstone benchtops.

Zilker || Remodel || Austin, TX

Etch Design Group

Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island, grey floor and black benchtop.

1902 Historic Kitchen & Pantry Alamo Heights Remodel

Haven Design and Construction

This 1902 San Antonio home was beautiful both inside and out, except for the kitchen, which was dark and dated. The original kitchen layout consisted of a breakfast room and a small kitchen separated by a wall. There was also a very small screened in porch off of the kitchen. The homeowners dreamed of a light and bright new kitchen and that would accommodate a 48" gas range, built in refrigerator, an island and a walk in pantry. At first, it seemed almost impossible, but with a little imagination, we were able to give them every item on their wish list. We took down the wall separating the breakfast and kitchen areas, recessed the new Subzero refrigerator under the stairs, and turned the tiny screened porch into a walk in pantry with a gorgeous blue and white tile floor. The french doors in the breakfast area were replaced with a single transom door to mirror the door to the pantry. The new transoms make quite a statement on either side of the 48" Wolf range set against a marble tile wall. A lovely banquette area was created where the old breakfast table once was and is now graced by a lovely beaded chandelier. Pillows in shades of blue and white and a custom walnut table complete the cozy nook. The soapstone island with a walnut butcher block seating area adds warmth and character to the space. The navy barstools with chrome nailhead trim echo the design of the transoms and repeat the navy and chrome detailing on the custom range hood. A 42" Shaws farmhouse sink completes the kitchen work triangle. Off of the kitchen, the small hallway to the dining room got a facelift, as well. We added a decorative china cabinet and mirrored doors to the homeowner's storage closet to provide light and character to the passageway. After the project was completed, the homeowners told us that "this kitchen was the one that our historic house was always meant to have." There is no greater reward for what we do than that.

Clawson Residence

Ryan Cabinetry Inc.

Photos by Jeremy Dupuie
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Detroit with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, timber splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, multi-coloured floor and grey benchtop.

Modern Farmhouse

Rockwood Custom Homes

Zoonmedia
Photo of a large country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Calgary with a farmhouse sink, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula, beige floor, grey benchtop, shaker cabinets and white cabinets.

Donegal Avenue

IDF Studio

Transitional white kitchen with Heath tile backsplash, soapstone, counters, black hardware, wood island top, and wicker counter stools. Photo by Suzanna Scott.

Anigre on Ottawa Rd

Cherry Creek, Inc.

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, green splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, orange floor and green benchtop.

Hendricks Churchill New Farmhouse

Amanda Kirkpatrick Photography

Design ideas for a mid-sized country kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, yellow cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and black benchtop.

Classic design. Timeless elegance.k

User

This beverage nook berings in wlanut elements and reates the perfet spot for drinks. Classic white kitchen designed and built by Jewett Farms + Co. Functional for family life with a design that will stand the test of time. White cabinetry, soapstone perimeter counters and marble island top. Hand scraped walnut floors. Walnut drawer interiors and walnut trim on the range hood. Many interior details, check out the rest of the project photos to see them all.

Transitional Custom Home

Avalon Associates, Inc.

Design ideas for a large country u-shaped kitchen in Baltimore with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, white splashback, with island, brown floor, soapstone benchtops, glass tile splashback, panelled appliances and light hardwood floors.

Daisy Wilson Meadows

Jacob Lilley Architects

Greg Premru
Photo of a large traditional galley open plan kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and multiple islands.

Designer’s Own Kitchen – Lower Manhattan

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

This kitchen was designed by Bilotta senior designer, Randy O’Kane, CKD with (and for) interior designer Blair Harris. The apartment is located in a turn-of-the-20th-century Manhattan brownstone and the kitchen (which was originally at the back of the apartment) was relocated to the front in order to gain more light in the heart of the home. Blair really wanted the cabinets to be a dark blue color and opted for Farrow & Ball’s “Railings”. In order to make sure the space wasn’t too dark, Randy suggested open shelves in natural walnut vs. traditional wall cabinets along the back wall. She complemented this with white crackled ceramic tiles and strips of LED lights hidden under the shelves, illuminating the space even more. The cabinets are Bilotta’s private label line, the Bilotta Collection, in a 1” thick, Shaker-style door with walnut interiors. The flooring is oak in a herringbone pattern and the countertops are Vermont soapstone. The apron-style sink is also made of soapstone and is integrated with the countertop. Blair opted for the trending unlacquered brass hardware from Rejuvenation’s “Massey” collection which beautifully accents the blue cabinetry and is then repeated on both the “Chagny” Lacanche range and the bridge-style Waterworks faucet. The space was designed in such a way as to use the island to separate the primary cooking space from the living and dining areas. The island could be used for enjoying a less formal meal or as a plating area to pass food into the dining area.

Cape Cod

MacMillan-Pace, LLC

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Art Collectors

User

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional galley kitchen in Jacksonville with a double-bowl sink, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, brown floor, shaker cabinets and medium hardwood floors.

Riverside

Morrissey Saypol Interiors, LLC

Photo by Morrissey Saypol Interiors
Design ideas for a traditional u-shaped open plan kitchen in New York with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Hyde Park Treehouse

HA Architecture

Photo by: Leonid Furmansky
Photo of a small transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Traditional Kitchen

One Room at a Time, Inc.

One Room at a Time Inc.
Photo of a small traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Milwaukee with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and no island.

Farmhouse Dream

Oakley Builders Inc

Design ideas for a large country l-shaped open plan kitchen in Raleigh with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Kitchen with Soapstone Benchtops and Glass Benchtops Design Ideas

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to planning your kitchen design. Where do you even start? Gathering some inspiration in a photo gallery is always a good starting point, as looking at different kitchen designs often brings up ideas you haven’t even thought of yet.

Browse Photos of Kitchen Designs for Inspiration and Collect Your Ideas

You can browse through photos of all kinds of kitchen styles, layouts and sizes on Houzz to get started before jumping into any design software or contacting a local professional for help. Here’s a few considerations to keep in mind when planning your kitchen.

1. What Makes a Good Kitchen Design, and Why is it Important?

For starters, you want to find a balance between aesthetics and function. You may have heard of the ‘kitchen work triangle’, which refers to the space between your fridge, sink and stove. You want everything within easy reach when you’re working in the kitchen and look beautiful at the same time. It’s a good idea to take note of both when browsing our photo gallery.

2. Consider Your Space to Determine Your Kitchen Layout

Firstly, consider the space you have, and the limitations that come with it. Do you have a small kitchen and need to maximise your workspace and storage? Can you allow yourself some more space and a big island with seating? Are you designing your kitchen from scratch or renovating an existing design? Which appliances do you already own and what are their measurements? Are there windows you need to take into consideration when planning cabinets? How do kitchen, living and dining areas connect? Depending on your space and needs, you want to use a shape that suits you. U, G, or L-shaped kitchen, with or without island or peninsula? Know your dimensions, plan cabinetry carefully and consider the placement of your appliances. You don’t want to end up with a finished design, only for your significant other to question where the fridge is supposed to go. Consider from the start where your fridge, oven, microwave and sink goes to save yourself from starting again from scratch - remember the kitchen work triangle! You also want to plan the layout of your cabinets. Maybe you’re planning for a pantry and can do with less storage space in your kitchen, so that your design can be one without upper or lower cabinets for a different look. A corner cabinet can be a smart storage solution if you want to keep the look clean and simple.

3. Decide on a Kitchen Style, But Don’t Forget Practicality

You want the style of your kitchen to reflect your personality and taste. We have curated a large array of kitchen styles here at Houzz, from traditional to contemporary to transitional and everything in between. Consider what your cooking style is for a start - Italy is known for its cuisine, so italian kitchen designs are generally popular. Also consider ergonomics - depending on how much time you spend in your kitchen, the height of your counters can make a big difference to your overall health. You also want to consider colour and finishes of cabinets, countertops and splashbacks. Which colour do you want your cupboards to be? Simple, timeless white or rather making a statement in black? Maybe rather a rustic wood? Also consider the colour of your floor - if you have dark floors, you may want to keep cabinets lighter. You could also go for an all-white look and choose black appliances for contrast. Once you know which style you fancy, don’t forget how you will be using the space. You want to keep cooking in mind, as well as how easy to clean and maintain the space will be. How many cooks do you need to accommodate? Do you have kids around? How much storage do you need? Maybe you want to go for open shelves rather than cabinets and allow for easy reach of key items you use when cooking. Again - remember the triangle! Lastly, choose lighting that both enhances the look of your kitchen as well as your cooking performance, providing light in all the right places.

4. Be Conscious of Your Budget

No matter what you plan for your kitchen design, cost is always a big factor. Be sure to plan with your budget in mind. It may make more sense to go for a modular kitchen design rather than custom build. You can save a lot of money if you get at least 3 estimates from professionals before locking in the job. And don’t forget to allow a 20% buffer for emergencies. Once you are ready to hire a pro, our directory will help you find one, no matter where you are. So whether you're looking for an Interior Designer in Melbourne or an Architect in Sydney, you can be sure to find a qualified expert for the job!